Category: Photography

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What to wear to a temple in Bali

What to wear to a temple in Bali
John is all dressed up in a sarong and traditional udeng headwear for a temple visit in Bali

BALI, INDONESIA – Whether going out for a nice dinner, attending a festive celebration or meeting the in-laws for the first time, who hasn’t wondered, “What should I wear?”

I must confess, fashion is not my strong suit. Most of the time I dress strictly for comfort. Shorts and sandals, a favorite T-shirt (worn so thin it’s almost transparent) and I’m good to go.

If I need to be more dressy I’ll switch out my battered Tee for a real shirt with buttons and a pocket.

But when we travel, local rules of etiquette sometimes require me to venture outside my sartorial comfort zone.

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A Thrilling Motorcycle Sidecar Ride in Vietnam

Melanie gets ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar
Melanie gets ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar

PHONG NHA, VIETNAM – One of my all-time favorite movie chase scenes comes from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his father (played by Sean Connery) have just escaped from their Nazi captors.

Indie steals a motorcycle, and with his “very proper” British father seated in the attached sidecar they race away along rugged dirt roads with a gang of motorcycle-mounted German soldiers in hot pursuit.

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Spectacular Caves in Phong Nha, Vietnam

Inside Paradise Cave at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Inside Paradise Cave at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam

PHONG NHA, VIETNAM – We just spent several days at the Phong Nha Farmstay near the town of Phong Nha, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

The main attraction at Phong Nha is its location near some of the most spectacular caves in the world. It’s the leaping off point for treks into Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (including Hang Son Doong, the world’s largest cave) and a haven for backpackers.

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Not to worry… We’re still here

John and Melanie enjoy a typical Vietnamese meal in Danang (photo courtesy Michael Caven/Tran Restaurants)
John and Melanie enjoy a typical Vietnamese meal in Danang (photo courtesy Michael Caven/Tran Restaurants)

DANANG, VIETNAM – Rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated.

Melanie and I have lately had a few queries along the lines of…

“Are you guys OK? You haven’t written anything new on your blog for more than a month!”

Or…

“Are you two still living in Vietnam? We haven’t heard from you in a while.”

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding “Yes!”

We’re fine. We still live in Vietnam. Our daily life goes on as usual, with interesting experiences almost every time we step out of our apartment.

It’s just that…

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You named your store what? Another quirky biz name

Another curious example from our growing collection of quirky business names
Another curious example from our growing collection of quirky business names

DANANG, VIETNAM – Here’s another one of the curious business names we’ve run across in our travels outside the U.S.

We’ve seen a lot of business names that make us stop and wonder, “What were they thinking?”

Sometimes the odd names are the result of faulty online translation engines.

Other times they come from an effort to sound “Western” and hip…

Or a grandiose way to blow your own horn.

And sometimes they’re just odd.

Take a look at the shop pictured above…

“C+ mini Mart”

If you were going to assign your own grade, wouldn’t you give yourself an “A”?

Maybe even an “A+” if you were feeling really good about your efforts.

I certainly would!

But a “C+”?

That’s all they could muster?

Top of the class or not, at least it’s above average.

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